PLM online conferences 2020

Participating in conferences is a great way to share your ideas, learn something new or just make connections in the business. You get to present your successes to others, attend lectures from people who have something new to share, exchange experiences and meet people who can help you on your way to success. And a lot of the time, you get to do it somewhere away from home, in a different city or different country even. But with the raging coronavirus pandemic, traveling has become difficult and risky. This certainly puts a kink in any plans to fly overseas for a conference for now. It doesn’t, however, have to mean not participating in conferences at all. Instead, PLM online conferences are shaping up to be all the rage in 2020. As industry leaders who have experience in this, Frontech Solutions EU is here to tell you more about them.

PLM online conferences – what are they and how do they work?

Much like in-person conferences. online conferences consist of a variety of lectures, interviews, workshops, panel discussions and other forms of knowledge sharing. Events are usually held over the course of a few days. You can choose the ones that interest you to attend. The big difference between in-person and online conferences is, of course, how you participate. When attending an online conference, you’ll usually need to visit and log in to their official website or install software like Microsoft Teams or Slack that they’ll use to host events online.

Both online and physical conferences usually center around a common theme. Unfortunately, interest in PLM-specific conferences has waned somewhat in the last few years. Consequently, such conferences are not as common today as they may have been previously. So if you’re curious about following the textile industry product lifecycle or learning more about textile industry PLM software, for example, you may have to look into conferences on product development in a fashion more generally.

What are the benefits of PLM online conferences?

It is unfortunate that not all conferences offer the option of online attendance because it comes with a lot of benefits! Some of the main advantages of this method are:

• it’s cheaper and more cost-effective (even free): It’s true – not all online PLM conferences are free. But even so, they’re much cheaper than they are when they happen in person. You don’t have to pay for a hotel or book a flight or budget for eating out. Instead, all you need to pay is the attendance fee, if there even is one.
• convenience and ease of access: Physical conferences require a lot of effort in comparison to their online counterparts. With an online conference, you can easily get access to any event with just a laptop, tablet or phone and an internet connection.
• participate from any place any time: Overslept and don’t have time to put on your suit? Not a problem when the conference is a virtual one! You can learn about PLM solutions for transportation from the comfort of your own bed if you so choose.

These days it is also important to keep in mind the current world crisis situation. With the pandemic of the coronavirus not showing signs of stopping, large gatherings are ill-advised and even dangerous. Attending online conferences instead is, therefore, also a matter of safety.

Are there any disadvantages to be aware of?

Of course, there are also downsides to online conferences about PLM. What with only happening in the virtual space, they don’t allow for a lot of personal interaction and thus limit your networking possibilities. Of course, you can always contact other attendees online. But sometimes that’s just not the same. Nothing can quite replace a firm handshake or a confident smile when you need to present yourself in the best light.

The other major disadvantage is that attending virtual PLM conferences depends a lot on personal motivation. Since there is no need to be physically present anywhere, you will need to really motivate yourself to tune in. This won’t be a problem if you truly have a burning passion for service industry PLM software, but it can be an issue if your interests shift elsewhere before the conference.

Make the most of PLM online conferences

It’s true that online conferences are pretty much the same as physical once, only happening in a virtual space. But that one crucial detail can make a huge difference in how much you get out of a conference. So let’s look at the three important steps to making the most of attending a PLM conference online.

Apply, save the date, and prepare

The first thing you’ll need to do is find a conference you want to attend and apply for it. This part is not that hard – applications are usually also done online and any fees are paid simultaneously. But applications commonly open weeks and even months in advance! And when you don’t need to actually physically be somewhere, it’s easy to forget about an event. So make sure to add the conference to your calendar, preferably with a reminder about it coming up a few days before it starts. That way you’ll also have time to check that your internet connection and devices are all working properly.

Check your email regularly

The main form of communication for many online conference organizers is email. So check yours regularly! And don’t forget the spam either – strict filters will sometimes mistakenly sort these emails as marketing even though they contain very important information about the conference, events or attendance.

Engage in events

A great and awful thing about online events is that they are what you make of them. So if you want to get the most out of an online conference, you’ll have to be pro-active. Sign up for as many events as you can, attend and participate actively. Even if you’re just sitting in your own room, still wearing your pajamas, make sure you’re just as serious about the goings-on as you would be in a business suit in a big conference room.

Be productive – participate in as many PLM online conferences as you can!

PLM online conferences can be an amazing way to learn more about PLM, make the most of the software you have or make important business connections without spending too much money or needing to invest a lot of physical effort. And that’s precisely why you can attend as many as you like in 2020! Improve your business from the comfort of your own home this year by being productive and participating in conferences.